Author
Topic: The Zone - The 6th Sense? (Read 5104 times)

scottybruno

I have written a little bit about that precarious place athletes refer to as, "The Zone" on a more global level and thought I would share the writing here. Perhaps by sharing this writing others may enlighten me more on the subject. The Zone, as we know it, quite possibly could be the 6th sense.

The sixth Sense or living "In the Now"

I believe that I have ventured upon the sixth sense or a concept wherein resides a sixth sense which combines all 5 senses to create a higher level of awareness. Athletes refer to this sense as "The Zone", Special forces and Military Groups call it "Deep Situational Awareness" and religions call it "being in total connection with for instance the holy spirit" or in some cases speaking tongues.

The sixth sense is a state of being in which a person thinks not about yesterday, nor tomorrow, rather about what's happening right at that particular moment in time where there is no tomorrow and no yesterday.

Professions which draw humans closest to the sixth sense include, firemen, Ambulance workers, police, emergency room workers as well as your common thrill seekers. In each case they perform in an environment in which reaction is in the now and nothing from yesterday comes to mind and nothing of tomorrow comes to mind.

To place this into the thrill seekers mind we can look at the example of a bungee jump for instance. As soon as the jumper leaves that bridge and tumbles towards earth do you think they are thinking about last nights spousal argument they had with their loved one? Or are they thinking about their parenting challenges or children's grades? Do you think that the thrill seeker during their jump is thinking about what the stock prices will be at closing time? No. They are living "In the Now". Which is in essence, A VERY high level of "conscious to sub conscious connection". This is one of the main reasons thrill seekers seek out such sports, to feel "in the now". The key here is attaining that feeling on an everyday basis without having to jump from a bridge, enter battle, or quickly resituate a heart attack patient.

As mentioned the key factor here is in being able to reach "the now" without going to such extremes such as bungee jumping, or being a part of a rescue operation during a fatal accident. Some methods of practice which assist people in getting to this area include yoga and meditation. There is no doubt that the feeling that one inhibits in the now is both exhilarating and divine and something of which each person usually longs for more of. The key is finding yourself in the now as you traverse through your everyday life.

Perhaps one of the best ways to get into the now, and connect the conscious with the sub-conscious is by way of self discipline and training. In this proposed practice one should be VERY careful not to be judgmental. In this proposed practice you simply note that there is a voice in your head. Yes, not a far cry from the homeless person in the park blurting out quotations at will, however this is different. We don't blurt out the voice. So in this exercise one is to recognize that the voice exists. Secondly is to, in an unbiased way, listen to the voice. DO NOT JUDGE THE VOICE. Just listen. As you become in tune with what your inner voice is saying you will note a feeling of enlightenment. You will feel lighter, stronger and more attune to your surroundings. As you carry out this practice it will begin to become second nature and with it will come the sixth sense. What occurs is a total sound awareness of everything around you and all from within. Situational Awareness found without being on the front lines of a military operation or on the end of a great pass in the NFL. You will begin to learn to live in the now, where there is no tomorrow, and yesterday is all but forgotten.

Should you have questions feel free to email me as I would love to hear from you about your questions, experiences and all.

I will dig into this one later. But to stay in the zone I think you need to avoid thinking about the zone. Focus on each point as it comes. No thoughts on the past and none of the future.

As I was posting the second question the same thought occured to me! Any awareness of anything other than the current shot always seems to be a distraction to me and detracts from the quality of the stroke.

I will dig into this one later. But to stay in the zone I think you need to avoid thinking about the zone. Focus on each point as it comes. No thoughts on the past and none of the future.

As I was posting the second question the same thought occured to me! Any awareness of anything other than the current shot always seems to be a distraction to me and detracts from the quality of the stroke.

Thinking about not thinking about it does the same. Work on your technique on trainings and stuff. When playing competitive dont think about changing your strokes but simply watch the ball and look at court stratagy and blindly assume your strokes are fine, that way your subconsicious will usually do the better.

Logged

Dont fight about tennis, support tennis.

I just didn't think I would be seeing a clay court tournament where Roddick is still in it and Nadal is out. - Dallas - 31 May, RG 2009

I thought I'd resurrect this thread and fish around for further input on the subject.

I have several questions:

Do you do anything specific to increase your chances of entering 'The Zone'?

Once you are in 'The Zone', what do you do to remain in that state?

If you could do either, there wouldn't be a "zone".

Sorry Babs, I'm not buying the concept that it's some mystical state that cannot be induced and just happens willy nilly. I'm thinking there has to be some sort of explanation as to how/why it all seems to come together sometimes.

I thought I'd resurrect this thread and fish around for further input on the subject.

I have several questions:

Do you do anything specific to increase your chances of entering 'The Zone'?

Once you are in 'The Zone', what do you do to remain in that state?

If you could do either, there wouldn't be a "zone".

Sorry Babs, I'm not buying the concept that it's some mystical state that cannot be induced and just happens willy nilly. I'm thinking there has to be some sort of explanation as to how/why it all seems to come together sometimes.

Yeah, this is a tough one!? I could say what causes it might be things like perfect amount of sleep, good nutrition, correct mental state, and...........yada, yada, yada!? But, one of the times it happened to me was a Sunday eve after a Saturday of heavy drinking I think!? Nah, I think it is closer to some mystical state rather than anything you can cause. If you could bottle it then many people would reach this "zone" often.

I choose to think of it all as a spectrum of performance........sometimes you are at the bottom of your performance spectrum likely due to stress or something. Likely most often we are closer to the high end of our performance spectrum because we play so often and we know what to do physically and mentally to get our best results out of ourselves............well, depending on how hard our heads are!? Sometimes, rarely, it all just happens right and we play amazing (the highest we are capable and highest on our individual spectrum) and then we label that we were in the zone. Anyway, fascinating topic! Lets delve deeper!

I thought I'd resurrect this thread and fish around for further input on the subject.

I have several questions:

Do you do anything specific to increase your chances of entering 'The Zone'?

Once you are in 'The Zone', what do you do to remain in that state?

If you could do either, there wouldn't be a "zone".

Sorry Babs, I'm not buying the concept that it's some mystical state that cannot be induced and just happens willy nilly. I'm thinking there has to be some sort of explanation as to how/why it all seems to come together sometimes.

Problem with that argument is that if indeed it could be induced, most everyone would prob choose to be in the zone all the time, no?

I thought I'd resurrect this thread and fish around for further input on the subject.

I have several questions:

Do you do anything specific to increase your chances of entering 'The Zone'?

Once you are in 'The Zone', what do you do to remain in that state?

If you could do either, there wouldn't be a "zone".

Sorry Babs, I'm not buying the concept that it's some mystical state that cannot be induced and just happens willy nilly. I'm thinking there has to be some sort of explanation as to how/why it all seems to come together sometimes.

Problem with that argument is that if indeed it could be induced, most everyone would prob choose to be in the zone all the time, no?

Whatever it is I doubt its easy. I think of it basically as a state of pure focus and concentration. When your heart and soul are all into one and only one thing, the ball. the more you practice and the more you play, the more memory of the ball and the game an dhow it works settles into your subconscious and muscles. And when you can bring yourself to fully focus and concnetrate on the ball.. at the time the rest of your brain and body are free to focus everything on that .. and you know.. you're whole body/mind is working on just one task and we know the wonders of the body/mind when its fully dedicated. The reason its hard is to bring all that focus and concentration. It's so so easy to be distracted by not only thoughts off the court but simple "natural" things as how to win the point, what you are or have been doing wrong or right, the weight of each point etc etc. The focus and concetration is what's important. And when you do focus and concentrate you need to have the background for the body/mind to know exactly what to do subconciously.. in the zone when you are not trying to consciously do something. Hence the reason a professional player, someone like Federer I think can access the zone more frequently, almost "at will", than your average player. He can zone in on the ball and focus on just that thing, and his body is versed a million times in the right thing and everything just works together to give it his all. That's what happens in the zone, you give it your all, everything. And if your game is good enough, when you give it your all, its perfect. and you are in the zone.

Maybe a better question is: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

What are you talking about? Do you think some people are more likely to get in the zone? Maybe!?

(Is that a rhetorical question? If not, it should be.)

Michael Jordan

I've gotten in the zone in three different sports: football, track & field and hoops. Inexplicable, freak, peak performances very rarely replicated, if at all.

MJ, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer!? Are they more often in the zone or are they just that good? I have been in the zone in volleyball and tennis. I don't think I have ever been in the zone during basketball, though there have been some good ones.

Maybe a better question is: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

What are you talking about? Do you think some people are more likely to get in the zone? Maybe!?

(Is that a rhetorical question? If not, it should be.)

Michael Jordan

I've gotten in the zone in three different sports: football, track & field and hoops. Inexplicable, freak, peak performances very rarely replicated, if at all.

MJ, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer!? Are they more often in the zone or are they just that good? I have been in the zone in volleyball and tennis. I don't think I have ever been in the zone during basketball, though there have been some good ones.

IMO, Jordan and Woods are that good, then have stretches of "peak performanc". In other words, the start off high, reach the zone for a stretch, then return to a high level.

For me, the zone is easier to understand with respect to sports other than tennis. I'll leave the explanation for Federer to someone else, but I imagine it should sound very similar.

Maybe a better question is: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

What are you talking about? Do you think some people are more likely to get in the zone? Maybe!?

(Is that a rhetorical question? If not, it should be.)

Michael Jordan

I've gotten in the zone in three different sports: football, track & field and hoops. Inexplicable, freak, peak performances very rarely replicated, if at all.

MJ, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer!? Are they more often in the zone or are they just that good? I have been in the zone in volleyball and tennis. I don't think I have ever been in the zone during basketball, though there have been some good ones.

IMO, Jordan and Woods are that good, then have stretches of "peak performanc". In other words, the start off high, reach the zone for a stretch, then return to a high level.

For me, the zone is easier to understand with respect to sports other than tennis. I'll leave the explanation for Federer to someone else, but I imagine it should sound very similar.

Have you ever come out of a zone while still playing? I haven't, once I was in the zone it didn't stop until I did.

Maybe a better question is: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

What are you talking about? Do you think some people are more likely to get in the zone? Maybe!?

(Is that a rhetorical question? If not, it should be.)

Michael Jordan

I've gotten in the zone in three different sports: football, track & field and hoops. Inexplicable, freak, peak performances very rarely replicated, if at all.

MJ, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer!? Are they more often in the zone or are they just that good? I have been in the zone in volleyball and tennis. I don't think I have ever been in the zone during basketball, though there have been some good ones.

IMO, Jordan and Woods are that good, then have stretches of "peak performanc". In other words, the start off high, reach the zone for a stretch, then return to a high level.

For me, the zone is easier to understand with respect to sports other than tennis. I'll leave the explanation for Federer to someone else, but I imagine it should sound very similar.

Have you ever come out of a zone while still playing? I haven't, once I was in the zone it didn't stop until I did.

No, but that just brings me back to my original question: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

Perhaps if I was "that good," I would have short stretches of peak performance. I can't answer that. You can state your opinion.

Maybe a better question is: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

What are you talking about? Do you think some people are more likely to get in the zone? Maybe!?

(Is that a rhetorical question? If not, it should be.)

Michael Jordan

I've gotten in the zone in three different sports: football, track & field and hoops. Inexplicable, freak, peak performances very rarely replicated, if at all.

MJ, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer!? Are they more often in the zone or are they just that good? I have been in the zone in volleyball and tennis. I don't think I have ever been in the zone during basketball, though there have been some good ones.

IMO, Jordan and Woods are that good, then have stretches of "peak performanc". In other words, the start off high, reach the zone for a stretch, then return to a high level.

For me, the zone is easier to understand with respect to sports other than tennis. I'll leave the explanation for Federer to someone else, but I imagine it should sound very similar.

Have you ever come out of a zone while still playing? I haven't, once I was in the zone it didn't stop until I did.

No, but that just brings me back to my original question: Why are certain players more likely to get in the zone than others?

Perhaps if I was "that good," I would have short stretches of peak performance. I can't answer that. You can state your opinion.

Actually, I do go in and out of the zone when writing. There have been times that I will write for days with minimal interuption, then not write again until my next binge.